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Nazaruddin Has New Democratic Party Politician in His Sights
Rizky Amelia & Anita Rachman | December 15, 2011

Muhammad Nazaruddin, pictured in this file photo, revealed on Wednesday at the Anti-Corruption Court the identity of the Muhammad Nazaruddin, pictured in this file photo, revealed on Wednesday at the Anti-Corruption Court the identity of the 'Big Boss.' (JG Photo/Afriadi Hikmal)
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High profile graft defendant Muhammad Nazaruddin seems to have an endless list of people he wants to implicate. He has now accused senior Democratic Party politician Ahmad Mubarok of using his foundation to receive illicit funds.

The latest accusation came after he accused party chairman Anas Urbaningrum and lawmaker Angelina Sondakh of receiving bribe money from several government projects Nazaruddin himself is also implicated in.

Nazaruddin, a former Democratic Party treasurer, has also pointed his finger at officials from the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), which is charging him with receiving Rp 4.67 billion ($513,000) in kickbacks from Duta Graha Indah, the contractor that won the project to build the athletes’ village for the Southeast Asian Games.

On Wednesday, Nazaruddin said that money he received for the Southeast Asian Games project was used to finance Mubarok’s charitable foundation.

“I provided the capital for Mubarok’s foundation,” Nazaruddin said at the Jakarta Anti-Corruption Court, where he is being tried.

“How did Mubarok finance the foundation? He bribed lawmakers with three percent of the budget [approved by the House] and he got seven percent from local government.”

Mubarok, a member of the party’s advisory board, denied Nazaruddin’s claims saying that the graft defendant was angry at the party for not protecting him.

“What money? What foundation? All I have is the Mubarok Institute and it gets no money from anyone,” he said, adding that the institute was an orphanage in South Jakarta.

“He is angry at me because I once told other Democrat Party members not to think about people like Nazaruddin.”

Nazaruddin admitted that he was enraged with other Democrats who fired him from his post shortly after he was named a suspect in the graft scandal.

“I feel like I have been made a scapegoat. Other [Democrats] are acting like they are holy men. Such hypocrites. I feel sorry for them,” he said.

On Wednesday, Nazaruddin also accused KPK officials of wrongdoing, describing them as thieves.

“I know exactly what Chandra is like and how he got his fortune,” Nazaruddin said, referring to KPK deputy chairman Chandra Hamzah.

The graft defendant also made similar accusations against another KPK deputy, M. Jasin, and the agency’s former head of enforcement, Ade Rahardja.

“They are thieves. If they are committed to fighting graft they should let the authorities examine [their wealth],” Nazaruddin said.

Nazaruddin had aired similar accusations about the three KPK officials during his time on the run abroad. The KPK responded by conducting an internal inquiry, which cleared the three officials of any wrongdoing.

But Nazaruddin insisted that he had fallen victim to an elaborate conspiracy to frame him.

“The accusations against me are made up without any evidence,” he said.

Earlier, Nazaruddin’s lawyers rejected the prosecution’s indictment, saying that Nazaruddin was never given a chance to clarify the accusations against him.

On Wednesday, lead prosecutor I Kadek Wiradana told the court that KPK investigators had repeatedly questioned the defendant on the matter without receiving an answer.

Kadek presented Nazaruddin’s investigation records to the court. On Aug. 14, Nazaruddin refused to answer any questions, saying he wanted his lawyers present, but when he was accompanied by his lawyers on Aug. 18, Nazaruddin still refused to talk.

“I refuse to give any response because I feel I don’t know anything. I want to be sentenced immediately, the most important thing is that my wife and kids are left alone” Kadek quoted Nazaruddin as saying.

The prosecutor said the defendant and his legal counsel refused to exercise their right to deny the accusations against Nazaruddin.

Nazaruddin told the court that he maintained his earlier defense that the case is unfit for trial, saying that he was not confronted about the allegation by KPK investigators.

The court, presided over by Judge Darwati Ningsih is scheduled to make a preliminary ruling on whether the case is fit for trial when it resumes next week.